Machines for lasting footwear



July 21, 1964 s. T. RALPHS MACHINES FOR LAISTING FOOTWEAR r b m 4Sheets-Sheet l GEORFE WEI 0Q EAL/ H5 Filed June 50, 1960 Ar/omey July21, 1964 RALPHs 3,141,183

MACHINES FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR Filed June 30, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 B MW/Af/ome V5 July 21, 1964 G. T. RALPHS MACHINES FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR FiledJune 30, .1960

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 21, 1964 G. T. RALPHS 3,141,133

MACHINES FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR Filed June 30, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mvenfor GEORGE TREVOR RAL PH5 United States Patent 3,141,183 MACHINES FURLASTHWG FGOTWEAR George Trevor Ralplis, Oadby, England, assignor toRalphs Engineering Company Limited, Leicester,

England Filed June 30, 1960, Ser. No. 39,911 Claims priority,application Great Britain July 1, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 12-82) Thisinvention is for improvements in or relating to machines for lastingfootwear and is concerned more particularly with a machine for lastingthe heel seats of shoes, the term shoe being used herein, wherever thecontext so permits, in a broad sense to include all forms of outerfootwear. The invention has for one of its objects to provide a machineand apparatus whereby the lasting of the heel ends of shoes and theshaping of the heel end parts thereof can be performed simultaneously ina simple, convenient and effective manner.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a lasting machine foroperating on the heel end of a shoe comprising a mounting for a shape orform adapted to engage within the heel end of the shoe upper, means forholding a shoe in position on a shape or form on such mounting, aninflatable mould adapted to embrace the heel end portion of the shoeupper on such shape or form and grip it thereagainst, and wiping meansto wipe the lasting margin of the upper material around the heel end ofthe shoe against an insole on such shape or form whilst the heelwardpart of the upper is embraced by the mould and gripped by it against theshape or form. Preferably the shape or form is provided with meanswhereby it may be heated to facilitate moulding the heelward end of theupper to the requiring shape. The wiping means which convenientlycomprises wiper plates are preferably also heated to activate theadhesive for securing the lasting margin to the insole of the shoe.

The machine is specifically adapted for lasting the heel end of a shoeupper fitted with a stiffener which is not pro-moulded, that is astiffener which has been shaped approximately to the final form of theheel end of the shoe. The shaping of said heel end is effected by theshape or form in cooperation with the inflatable mould under pressureand heat, and the stiffener employed should be such as to facilitate theshaping.

The shape or form aforesaid may conveniently be a sole mould for theheelward end only of a shoe and it may be provided with means forlocating the heelward end of an insole on its bottom face. For thispurpose the said shape or form may have its top face provided with pegsto engage locating holes in the insole. The means for holding the shoeupper in position on the shape or form may be adapted to provide thetensioning stress to draw the upper snugly against the shape or form andapply if necessary a stretching stress on the sides of the upper.

A preferred form of machine comprises two stations adapted toaccommodate respectively left and right shoes, or a multiplication oftwo such stations. It may be organised so that atone station of a pair,lasting is performed whilst the other station is being discharged andre-loaded and vice-versa. The sole mould forming the shape or form andthe inflatable mould to embrace the heel end of a shoe are at eachstation so mounted as to be readily interchangeable with other moulds tosuit shoes of different styles or sizes.

The invention includes the provision for use in a lasting machine foroperating on the heel end of a shoe, of a inflatable mould comprisingtwo supporting plates adapted to extend around the heelward end of ashoe and pivoted to one another at the position of the heel end, aflexible diaphragm secured to said plates to extend along them inwardlythereof and supported at its edges by said plates, and an inflatable bagto press the diaphragm towards the heel end of a shoe upper on a shapeor form and to cause the diaphragm and the shoe upper to assume therequired shape, said diaphragm and inflatable bag being adjustable withtheir supporting plates widthwise of the shoe about the common pivotalaxis of the plates.

The foregoing and other provisions of the invention are incorporated ina preferred manner of construction which is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings and will now be described withreference to the drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation viewpartly in cross section of relevant parts of a heel seat lastingmachine,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view looking downwardly on parts shown on theright of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES 3 and 4 are detailed cross sectional views taken on the lineIIIIII of FIGURE 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale to illustrate in twopositions the manner of gripping and pulling the shoe upper,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation view taken on the lineV-V of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a flexible mould for engaging a heel,

FIGURE 7 is an end view of a portion of the mould,

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE6.

FIGURE 9 is a similar cross sectional view taken on the line IX-IX ofFIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 10 is a bottom plan view showing somewhat diagrammatically themanner of operation of the mould.

The invention may be applied to a single or twin head machine forlasting the heel ends of shoes. Generally it will be preferred for it tohave two heads side by side adapted to operate respectively on rightsand lefts. Precisely similar parts will be provided at the two heads andthe drawings illustrate one set only of such parts.

Referring firstly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the machine illustrated comprisesa supporting arm 15 for supporting a shoe, such arm being pivoted torock about a horizontal pivot 16 carried by a fixed part 17 of themachine. The arm 15 extends from a piston 18 and cylinder 19 which alsorock on pivot 16 and is in screw threaded engagement with a hollowpiston rod 18a of the piston 18 being fitted with a knurled screwthreaded locking disc 20 for locking the piston rod 18a in a desiredsetting on the arm 15, thus enabling the arm 15 to be adjusted todifferent distances from the pivot 16. At the upper end of arm 15 thereis a boss 21 supporting a mounting 22 for a shape or form 23 to fit inthe heelward end of a shoe. The shape or form 23 corresponds to theheelward end only of the last. On the boss 21 there is a forwardlyextending table 24 which supports on runways 25 a central gripper member26 movable along the runways and presenting outwardly gripper jaws 27.To co-operate with the latter there are movable gripper jaws 28 mountedone on each side anchored to the free ends of levers 29 having theiropposite ends pivoted at 30 to the ends of a cross head 31, see FIG. 2.The cross head 31 is secured at its centre to an operating rod 32extending centrally under the table 24 and having attached to its endseen on the left of FIGURE 1 a post 33 on which the central grippermember 26 is mounted. The rod 32 extends through bearing lugs 34 and 35provided under the table 24 and also passes freely through a slidableplate 36 which is urged by a spring 37 into engagement with lug 35 tolimit its movement in one direction. The slidable plate 36 is formedwith forwardly converging camming slots 38 in which engage upstandingpins 39 fixed to the levers 29 and carrying rollers 40. The rod 32 iscoupled at its forward end by means of a block 41 to a piston rod 42 ofa pneumatically operated cylinder 43 anchored at 44 to a lug on the boss21. Thus when the pneumatic cylinder 43 is energised to operate thepiston rod 42 the rod 32 and cross head 31 are moved forwardly to drawwith them the levers 29 which will carry their pins 39 along the cammingslots 38. This movement rocks the arm 29 to close the gripper jaws 28towards the jaws 27. When the jaws have closed the levers 29 and camplate 36 move bodily together away from the shape or form 23, thisaction being permitted by the yielding of spring 37 the force of whichthen holds the gripper jaws closed.

The piston and cylinder 18, 19 are adapted to be operated for a purposelater described by admission of compressed air through an inlet port 45in the cylinder 19.

The shape or form 23 is arranged to be detachably mounted on its holder22 by having its underpart formed with dowel holes positioned to engagewith at least two dowel posts 46 and 47 projecting upwardly from thesupport 22 at a central position thereof and spaced longitudinally ofthe shape or form 23. The support 22 is conveniently formed with arecess 48 opening on to one side to accommodate connections running .toan electric heating element 76 fitted plugwise upwardly into the shapeor form 23. The latter is further provided with two locating projectionsor shallow pegs 49 by which an insole I may be accurately locatedagainst the shape or form 23 by apertures in the insole embracing theprojections 49.

Associated with the parts so far described there is a flexible mouldassembly indicated generally at 50 in FIG- URE l and mounted on a fixedpart of the machine by means of a separate bracket 51. The mouldassembly is shown more particularly in FIGS. to 9 and as viewed in planis of horseshoe shape and is formed of two pivotally connected sectionsto embrace the heel end of a shoe when on the shape or form 23. Themould assembly comprises two rigid backing plates 52 and 53 pivoted toeach other at 54 on a vertical pivot pin which supports them on themounting bracket 51 behind the center of the mould. FIG. 6 shows themould assembly with the backing plates 52 and 53 in edge view and showsalso the partly arcuate plates 55 and 56 and the similarly shapedclamping strips 57 and 58 which are associated with the partly arcuateplates. mounting for a semiflexible sheet 59 which forms theshoe-engaging face of the mould.

From the several views in FIGS. 6 to 9 it will be seen that the sheet 59extends down, the mould over the backing plates 52 and 53, thenhorizontally inwards and up the inside of the mould where its upperedges are clamped to the partly arcuate plates 55 and 56 by the backingplates 52 and 53 and by the strips 57, by means of clamping screws 60passing through members 52, 53 and 57. The sheet 59 is thus maintainedin the form of a horseshoe-shaped tubular pocket extending around theinner periphery of the mould from end to end thereof. At the two ends ofthe mould the sheet 59 is anchored to blocks 61 which also serve toclose its tubular ends. Clamping strips 62 extend down the inside of theinner edge of the sheet 59 and under the lower portion thereof and aretraversed by screws 63 and 64 for securing the ends of the sheet 59 tothe blocks 61. In the region of the pivot 54 the partly arcuate plates55 and 56 and the clamping strips 57 and 58 are cut back to enable thearms of the mould assembly to be moved inwardly toward each other toclamp a shoe as and when required. During such movement the inner middlepart of the sheet 59 at the position indicated at 65 in FIG. 6 adjacentthe hinge 64 is then permitted to bellow inwardly to permit suchmovement.

Between the edges of the plates 55 and 56 at the region of the hingethere is preferably a bridging sheet extending above them across thegap. This bridging sheet serves to retain at this place within thetubular form of the sheet 59 an inflatable bag 66 conveniently formed bya rubber tube sealed at its ends and extending throughout the Theseparts form the combinedlength of the tubular form of the sheet 59. Theinflatable bag 66 preferably has interposed between it and the outerportion of the sheet 59 a semi-flexible backing strip 67 of a width toextend throughout the depth of the mould. In the lower part of the mouldsuitable packing 68 is provided by narrow strips which pack the lowerportion of the mould between the bag and the flexible sheet 59 so as tomake this part of the mould relatively incompressible where it isrequired to. engage the heelward portion of the shoe upper in the regionof the feather line. The backing plates 52 and 53, at positions removedfrom the pivot 54, are fitted with angle brackets 69 slotted at 70 forengagement by means for varying the width of the mould assembly. Asshown in FIGURE 10 the width of the mould assembly 50 is varied to closeand open the mould for engagement and disengagement with the heel partof a shoe assembly by means of pneumatic cylinders 71, one at each side,these being provided with heads 72 for engaging the angle brackets 69and are pivoted at 73 to fixed parts 74 of the machine frame.

For wiping over the lasting margin around the heel of the shoe theapparatus shown is provided with wiper blades indicated diagrammaticallyat 75 in FIGS. 1 and 5, these being of usual form and convenientlyconsisting of two plates supported by a mounting at the back of themachine to project forwardly and be movable with a pivotal swinginwardly towards each other and across the top portion of the mouldassembly 50 and inwardly across the heel seat of a shoe on the shape orform 23 so as to press down the lasting margin around the heel seat ofthe shoe against the insole. The wipers 75 are preferably heatedelectrically in known manner so as to apply heat to activate theadhesive for securing the lasting margin in place against the insole.

In the operation of the apparatus shown an appropriate shape or form 23to fit a shoe to be lasted is placed on the mounting 22, and while thearm 15 is swung to a forward position, as shown in FIG. 1, an insole isplaced on the shape or form and positioned by means of the projections49. An assembled shoe upper U, FIGS. 3 to 5, is then placed around theshape or form 23 with its sides interposed between the gripper jaws 27and 28. Thereupon the pneumatically operated cylinder 43 is energised sothat the jaws 27, 28 are first closed to grip the sides of the upper andare then drawn forwardly to tension the rearward part of the shoe upperU around the shape or form 23'. The positions of the gripper jaws 27 and28, shoe upper U, and the shape or form 23 before and after the cylinder43 has been energised are shown diagrammatically in plan viewrespectively in FIGS. 3 and 4.

With the heelward part of the upper U tensioned around the shape or form23 the arm 15 is rocked rearwardly about its pivot 16 to cause theheelward part of the upper U to be engaged within the heel mouldassembly 50, and the pneumatic cylinders 71 are then operated to bringthe sides of the mould assembly together to embrace the shoe upper, thebag 66 being also inflated so that the diaphram or sheet 59 exerts anall over pressure on the shoe upper to hold it moulded in conformitywith the shape or form 23. The shaping of the upper is assisted by heatapplied to the shape or form by means of the electric heating element76. While the heelward part of the shoe is held in conformity with theshape or form the wiper plates 75 are moved inwardly to the positionindicated in FIG. 5 to turn inwardly the margin M of the upper and pressit firmly against the insole I as in FIG. 5. Heat is applied in knownmanner through the wiper plates 75 so as to activate adhesive forattaching the margin M to the insole I. Such adhesive may be preappliedto either or both of these parts. To enhance the pressure of the wiperplates 75 on the inturned margin M the pneumatic cylinder 19 isenergised by admission of air under pressure through the inlet 45 so asto urge the piston 18 and the arm 15 upwardly and thereby urge the shapeor form 23 and the shoe assembly thereon firmly against the wiperplates.

When the upper margin M has been lasted and secured in place, thepressure of cylinder 19 is released and the wiper plates 75 arewithdrawn. The cylinders 71 are deenergised or reversely operated toopen the mould assembly 50 and the arm 15 is rocked forwardly by gravityor otherwise about its pivot 16, the pneumatic cylinder 43 being thenreleased so as to open the gripper jaws 27 and 28 and permit the shoeassembly to be removed from the shape or form 23 in readiness for arepetition of the lasting sequence on a fresh shoe assembly.

In practice a complete set of parts as shown is preferably provided ateach of two stations side by side on a twin head machine. The pneumaticactuating means may be so controlled as to cause the required sequenceof upper clamping and wiping and margin pressing operations to beperformed automatically. Timing control may be provided to determine thedwell of a shoe assembly whilst under pressure at each station in themachine after the lasting margin has been wiped over the heel end of theinsole. Alternatively the machine may be so arranged that the loading ofone station automatically releases the lasted shoe assembly from theother station.

It is contemplated that in the use of the machine in accordance with theinvention, heel seat lasting of a shoe assembly will be performed beforelasting of the toe end and sides of the shoes is eifected.

What I claim is:

1. A lasting machine for operating on the heel end of a shoe comprisinga mounting, a form supported by the mounting and adapted to be receivedin the heel end of the shoe upper, means for holding a shoe in adefinite position on the form, an inflatable mould adapted to embraceand grip the heel end portion of the shoe upper while on the form and topress it thereagainst, means comprising a backing strip extendingthroughout the depth of said mould together with shorter length packingstrips disposed between said backing strip and inflatable mould, saidpacking strips comprising the portion of the mould engaging the shoeupper in the region of the feather line and being relativelyincompressible, means for wiping the lasting margin of the uppermaterial around the heel end of the shoe and against an insole while onsaid form and while the heelward part of the upper is embraced by saidmould and pressed by it against the form, and means for tensioning theshoe upper by drawing the same tightly against the form, said tensioningmeans comprising a central gripper member and a gripper jaw on each sidethereof for gripping and tensioning the shoe upper.

2. A lasting machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the form isprovided with heating means to facilitate the moulding of the heelwardend of the upper to the contour of said form, and wherein the form isprovided on the top face with pegs for engaging in holes in said insole.

3. A lasting machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means forwiping the lasting margin comprises wiper plates and means for heatingsaid plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,008,072 Halmgren July 16, 1935 2,043,305 Reed June 9, 1936 2,153,570Jorgensen Apr. 11, 1939 2,244,067 Jorgensen June 3, 1941 2,406,738Brophy Sept. 3, 1946 2,689,362 Hill et al Sept. 21, 1954 2,965,909 Quinnet a1 Dec. 27, 1960 2,933,742 Kamborian Apr. 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS1,241,921 France Oct. 23, 1959 474,676 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1937

1. A LASTING MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON THE HEEL END OF A SHOE COMPRISINGA MOUNTING, A FORM SUPPORTED BY THE MOUNTING AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVEDIN THE HEEL END OF THE SHOE UPPER, MEANS FOR HOLDING A SHOE IN ADEFINITE POSITION ON THE FORM, AN INFLATABLE MOULD ADAPTED TO EMBRACEAND GRIP THE HEEL END PORTION OF THE SHOE UPPER WHILE ON THE FORM AND TOPRESS IT THEREAGAINST, MEANS COMPRISING A BACKING STRIP EXTENDINGTHROUGHOUT THE DEPTH OF SAID MOULD TOGETHER WITH SHORTER LENGTH PACKINGSTRIPS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BACKING STRIP AND INFLATABLE MOULD, SAIDPACKING STRIPS COMPRISING THE PORTION OF THE MOULD ENGAGING THE SHOEUPPER IN THE REGION OF THE FEATHER LINE AND BEING RELATIVELYINCOMPRESSIBLE, MEANS FOR WIPING THE LASTING MARGIN OF THE UPPERMATERIAL AROUND THE HEEL END OF THE SHOE AND AGAINST AN INSOLE WHILE ONSAID FORM AND WHILE THE HEELWARD PART OF THE UPPER IS EMBRACED BY SAIDMOULD AND PRESSED BY IT AGAINST THE FORM, AND MEANS FOR TENSIONING THESHOE UPPER BY DRAWING THE SAME TIGHTLY AGAINST THE FORM, SAID TENSIONINGMEANS COMPRISING A CENTRAL GRIPPER MEMBER AND A GRIPPER JAW ON EACH SIDETHEREOF FOR GRIPPING AND TENSIONING THE SHOE UPPER.